Spring is finally here!! That means it is time to start sewing spring tops and dresses. When Riley Blake asked us to be a stop on their Riley Blake Knit Love Blog Tour, we jumped at the chance to make a little something for ourselves.
We are the final stop on this tour and we are eager to share what we did with our Riley Blake Knit.
First, lets take a look at the knit we chose. If you have been a follower of Violette Field Threads for any time then these choices will not come as a surprise. We have a thing for nautical fabrics, seriously, we are drawn to it like a moth to a flame. So of course when we saw these adorable blue anchors we were smitten! We selected an aqua and navy stripe as an accent just in case it needed something else.
We have to say that when the package came in the mail we were thrilled with the quality! The colors were saturated, beautiful and Riley Blake Knit is super soft. We knew it was perfect for garments.
We decided to sew the Harlow Peplum Top for our stop on the Riley Blake Knit Love Blog Tour. Harlow is our personal favorite of our women's patterns. It is is universally flattering, easy to sew, ideal for sewing with knits and warmer weather.
Disclaimer: We shot our photos outdoors in the sunlight and the fabric looks a bit more royal blue than navy in these photos. The true fabric leans more to a rich navy blue.
We fell in love with the Anchor print and decided not to mix and match it with the Aqua Stripe. Which means now we can use the stripe to make another top!
For this Harlow Top we used the flutter sleeve option. The Riley Blake knit was the perfect weight for making this top. It was stable enough to create a structured looking peplum and ruffles without being overly stiff or difficult to sew through thick layers.
We also discovered something that will make the Harlow pattern rise to the top of your selfish sewing list. When you sew the Harlow out of knit, no zipper is required!! Check it out:
It is so comfy and can be sewn up so quickly!
When following the Harlow Tutorial here are the two quick changes we made to omit the zipper:
1. On pages 14-15 of the Harlow tutorial you will follow steps 22-23 to close both of the sides seams on the Harlow Top you are creating. Once you have completed these steps , simply close the back seam in the exact same manner.
2. The current Peplum Back pattern piece is Cut 4 (not on the fold) To make a zipper-less Harlow, simply cut 2 of the Peplum Back pattern piece on the fold, the same as the Peplum Front pattern piece. The front and back will sew together at the side seams and then the lining will be attached. The peplum skirt will then attach them to the bodice as one circle.
This change can be made to knit Harlow's with ruffle or short sleeves!
Would you like to sew up a Harlow for spring? Pick the pattern up in our shop today and don't forget to pickup some fabulous Riley Blake Knit to sew yours up in!
Thank you so much to the whole Riley Blake Team for allowing us to be part of the fun!
xoxo,
Ericka & Jessica
